Recent Japanese Articlesfrom the Blog

Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned pro,
check out the Japanese articles on our blog.

With three different writing systems, learning Japanese can be confusing for beginners. It's much easier to break the systems down, and focus on one at a time. Here, Japanese teacher Kaoru N. shares his tips to help you learn hiragana...
There are three types of letters in the Japanese language: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Hiragana and katakana are based on sounds and pronunciation. In kanji, each character has its own meaning.
Hiragana characters are the most fundamental and basic chara …
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Japanese Writing Systems for Beginners: Learn Hiragana

With three different writing systems, learning Japanese can be confusing for beginners. It's much easier to break the systems down, and focus on one at a time. Here, Japanese teacher Kaoru N. shares his tips to help you learn hiragana...
There are three types of letters in the Japanese language: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Hiragana and katakana are based on sounds and pronunciation. In kanji, each character has its own meaning.
Hiragana characters are the most fundamental and basic chara

Japanese Mythology: 5 Ancient Myths and Legends

Do you have a fascination for Japanese mythology or Japanese legends? It can be very fun and exciting to learn about these unique aspects of Japanese history and culture.
A little bit of background first: Japanese mythology consists of stories derived from old folk beliefs, as well as the Shinto and Buddhist religions. Japanese mythology is also made up of a vast number of tales, but here we'll share five of the most well-known Japanese legends.
Japanese Mythology: 5 Famous Japanese Lege

Read all About it: The 8 Best Websites for Japan News

Whether you're planning a trip to Japan or you just want to stay up on the latest Japan news, there are a lot of sites to help you follow current events, trends, the latest in technology, and entertainment. Plus, if you're learning the language, you can boost your reading and speaking skills by reading the news in Japanese.
Here are eight great sites to help you stay current on the latest Japan news.
Japan Today
Read Japan Today for up-to-date information on sports, tech, and national n

The 7 Best Japanese Videos for Language Students

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Japanese videos are fantastic to help you practice the skills you're learning in your Japanese lessons. Whether you're a beginner or an intermediate student, it's easy to find a video series that suits your needs.
Here are our recommendations for the best videos to help you learn Japanese.
1. JapanesePod101
Set in a classroom, complete with a white board and pointer, this video demonstrates how to introduce yourself in Japanese.
The instructor explains the phrases and p

Japanese Honorifics: Formal & Informal Name Suffixes

When learning to speak Japanese, you'll come across suffixes used to address people called "honorifics." While these may seem confusing at first, they aren't that difficult to learn. Here, we break down Japanese honorifics for beginners...
Japanese honorifics arent as scary as they seem. Think of them like the English title prefixes (Miss, Sir, Dr., etc.). Japanese honorifics are simply a collection of suffixes that get tacked onto the end of names, titles, and other labels.
There are